Method of transferring lapped sheets



P 1949- H. E. PEYREBRUNE ETAL 2,466,862

METHOD OF TRANSFERRING LAPPED SHEETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12,1947 INVENTORS, HENFU E. PEYREBRUNE BRUNO B. PASQUINELU April H. E.PEYfiEBRUNE ETAL 2,466,862

-ME'IHOD TRANSFERR-ING LAPPED SHEETS Filed April 12 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet2 IN V EN TORS HENRI E. PEYRE BRUNE BRUNO B. PHSQUINE LLi Patented A ia,i949 Memenor f 2,466,362 TRANSFEERING LAPrEn snss'rs -ManufacturingCompany,

poration of Dclaware I Chicago, lll., a cor- Application April 12, feet,Serial No. 741,118

This invention relates in general to the art of feeding sheets, and itsusefulness is found to have particular merit when applied to the methodof feeding and registering sheets in lapped sequence and conveying aregistered sheet from its support to a printing press or other sheethandling machine while a succeeding sheet in the process of beingregistered is still partially covered by it.

The invention more specifically pertains to an improvement in the methodof transferring sheets by means of a moving sheet carrier operatingeither from above or from below a bank of fed sheets for the purpose ofconveying registered sheets to an impression member of high speedcylinder printing-presses of any class where perfect register of thesheets must be attained and maintained throughout the entire printingoperation. I

. In more recent years the method of feeding sheets in lapped sequencehas been adopted quite generally in connection with printing presseswhich are designed to operate at printing speeds much in excess of theaverage maximum speeds attained before.

One of the recognized advantages gained by feeding sheets in over-lappedor under-lapped sequence as compared with sheet-by-sheet feeding is thatthe speed at which the sheets travel towards the registering guides isreduced considerably. For example, if the number of such lapped sheetsisfive, then the speed at which the lapped sheets reach the frontregistering guides is substantially one-fifth of the speed at which asheet, when fed individually, i. e. not in lapped relation, would reachthe guides. This reduction in speed, however, merely facilitates thetask of slowing down and stopping the sheets for the purpose ofregistering, but it does not provide any additional time for performingthe actual registering operation on the sheets.

-It is evident to anyone acquainted with the art of feeding sheets, thatwhen sheets are being advanced to the registering guides in lappedrelation but are not registered while in such sequence, or when sheetsare fed to the guides individually, i. e. one by one, a registered sheetmust be withdrawn completely from the guides before the latter can acton a subsequent sheet. This represents a loss of much valuable time.

In order to minimize such loss and to make additional time available forregistering the sheets, the method of registering the sheetswhile-lapped was developed. This method provides for further distinctadvantages which include, for exlilCiaimaf (cacti-s) ,ample, a decreaseof the idle or non-printing period in the printing cycle.

This non-printing period is represented by the circumferential dimensionof the gap which is provided in the printing cylinders for purposes wellknown in the art. Consequently, the circumference of a cylinder becomesmaterially shortened while the efiective printing area of the cylinder,however, remains the same. This, furthermore, results in an appreciabledecrease in the cylinder diameter thereby materially reducing the costof manufacturing the cylinders. Another advantage attributed to thedecreased cylinder diameter is that the actual surface speed at whichprinting takes place is correspondingly reduced.

With the introduction of further improvements on high speed sheet fedprinting presses, it becomes apparent that the above advantages gainedby feeding sheets in lapped sequence and by registering the sheets whileso lapped, are again subject to definite speed limitations. Forinstance, when sheets can be controlled at speeds not heretoforeattained, the task of accurately registering the sheets at suchincreased speeds presents new problems, and again the primary requisitefor solving such problems becomes that of gaining still more time forregistering the sheets.

It is evident therefore, that the designers of sheet feeding andregistering devices for such faster operating equipment are confrontedwith.

We propose to accomplish this by an improvement which pertains moredirectly to the method and manner whereby the grippers of the sheettransfer mechanism, whether of the oscillating, rotary, or any othertype, are actuated during that part of'their motion when they move toengage a registered sheet prior to transferring it.

By the improved step we make available a certain time period in thecycle of transferring sheets, which heretofore remained idle, and to 3utilise such period for the purpose of providing additional time toregister the sheets.

While as stated. our invention is applicable to any type of sheettransfer mechanism, it is more particularly well adapted for use inconnectionwith the oscillating type, which includes receding sheetgrippers and associated grippers pads, the principle of which isdisclosed for example in the prior Patent No. 1,790,457 issued to JosephR. Blaine, January 27, 1931.

Some of the salient advantages gained by the introduction of ourinvention reside in:

Maximum possible utilization of the time available for registering,which results in maximum possible operating speeds for a given sizesheet; simplification of the problem of clearing the tail end of amaximum size sheet, because the relative speed of the trailing portionof the withdrawn sheet and the returning grippers of the oscillatingtype of transfer mechanism is the sum of their respective speeds; in atransfer mechanism of the rotary type the condition would be somewhatless favorable because such relative speed is the difference of theirrespective speeds; greater convenience for adjusting the frontregistering guides and associated parts, and better visibility of andaccessibility to all sheet registering and transferring elements.

One of the primary objects of our invention is to provide a novel stepin the method of feeding and registering sheets in lapped sequence,whereby in addition to the time heretofore gained and explained herein,still more time is made available for that purpose.

A further object of our invention resides in the provision of a novelmethod which can be applied with particular advantage in connection withan oscillatng type of sheet transfer mechanism whereby during the returnmovement the,

sheet carrying elements, which transfer the registered sheets from theirsupport toan impression member of a printing press, or to a sheetcarrying member of any other sheet handling machine, are projected intoand beyond the path described by a transferred sheet immediately afterthe trailing edge of such sheet has passed over and beyond the sheetregistering means.

Still further objects and inherent advantages will become apparent fromthe following description and appended claims.

For the purpose of disclosing the basic principle of our invention, wehave selected to illustrate it herein as applied to a sheet transfermechanism of the oscillating type. It will become apparent to anyoneacquainted with this art, however, that without departing from thefundamental concept the invention may be applied with advantage to sheettransfer mechanism of other types and designs.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the general principle of feeding and registeringa bank of lapped sheets and transferring individually registered sheetsto a sheet receiving member such as an impression cylinder of a printingpress;

Figure 4 illustrates schematically the path of the sheet grippingelements of the transfer mechwhich they follow during their returnmovement to the sheet engaging position where these elements again willgrip and transfer a subsequent registered sheet to an impressioncylinder or the like, having a gap G:

Figures 5, 6 and '7 illustrate at a larger scale the various positionsassumed by the gripper elements of the sheet transfer mechanismimmediately before and at the end of their return movement.

Referring now more specifically to Figures 1, 2 and 3, we have indicatedschematically a bank of lapped sheets A, B, C and D, which may be of anypredetermined length. advancing towards the front registering guides l0,and it will be seen that the leading edge of the uppermost sheet A ofthe lapped sheets is against said guides and already in the bite of thesheet gripping elements ii and i2 provided on the transfer mechanism llwhich is about to move in the direction indicated by the arrow andthereby transfer the sheet to the open grippers M of the impressioncylinder or the like it.

Figure 2 depicts the position of sheet A while being transferred fromthe gripper elements ii and i2 to the grippers M of the cylinder it. thefront guides 10 being about to return to their operative position asdenoted in Figure 1.

In Figure 3 the sheet B has reached the front registering guides iii andthe leading portion of the sheet is still overlapped by the transferredsheet A while the latter is being withdrawn from its registeringposition. The gripper elements, namely the pads ii and. gripper fingersi2 are shown as having traveled beyond their sheet transferring positionand are now receded from the path followed by the sheet A while it isbeing removed by the cylinder l5.

In the position indicated in Figure 4, which illustrates at a somewhatlarger scale the path of the pads ii and gripper fingers l2 followedduring their return travel, the trailing edge of the transferred sheet Ahas just passed over and beyond the front guides ill, the gripper padsll have already moved down onto the leading edge ofthe now completelyregistered sheet B. The gripper fingers l2 which are shown as havingprojected into and beyond the path followed by the withdrawn sheet A,are about to close on the sheet B to thereupon transfer this sheet tothe grippers i4 located within the gap G of the cylinder I5.

It will be understood that by the time the sheet B has been transferredto the cylinder grippers i l and before the trailing edge of the sheet Bhas passed over and beyond the front guides 69, a position correspondingto that of the sheet A as illustrated in Figure 3, the succeeding lappedsheet C will have reached the registering guides iii. The same sequenceof procedure applies of colu'se to the lapped underlying sheet D and toany other subsequent lapped sheets that are fed towardsthe front guidesto.

Dealing now in more detail with the improvement which constitutes thebasic principle of our invention, we refer more specifically to Figures5, 6, and 7 of .the drawings. The sheet gripping elements, namely thegripper supports or pads ii, and the gripper fingers i2 are preferablymounted on a common shaft 16 supported by an arm l! to which oscillatorymotion is imparted through the intermediary of a. shaft 18 which formspart of the sheet transfer mechanism.

In Figure 5, the position of the sheet A which is being Withdrawn fromthe registering table 89 is such that its trailing edge 20 is just aboutto pass over and beyond the front-registering guides ill. Th gripperpads II are about to move on to the leading edge of the next registeredsheet B which still bears against said guides i0, and the gripperfingers [2 are ready to descendinto the gap provided by the edge 20 ofthe sheet A and the guides it as soon as said edge has passed asuficient distance beyond the guides to provide a gap wide enough toclear the grippers. This position of the sheet A, guides l0, pads H andsheet gripper fingers i2 is indicated in Figure 6. The preferred angle,see W Figure 6, through which the trailing edge 20 ofthe sheet A shouldtravel beyond the front guides in before the gripper fingers I! arelowered into the position shown in Figure 6, is substantially We findthat under such conditions all of the additional time that can be madeavailable in the process of transferring a registered sheet to theimpression cylinder l5 or the like member and during the return travelof the sheet transferring members, is gained for the purpose of applyingit to that period within which the sheets are to be registered. l

In Figure 7 the gripper fingers i2 have moved up to close on the leadingedge of the registered sheet B so-that this sheet is now firmly held betweenthe fingers l2 and associated gripper pads ii and ready to betransferred to the cylinder E5. The front guides it are swung down toclear the sheet B as it is being withdrawn from the registering table l9but these guides are returned to their operative position while thesheet B is still being withdrawn, in order to register the oncomingunderlying sheet C during the withdrawal of sheet B.

It is of importance that the motion imparted to the gripper pads l l andto the fingers i2 is pref will come within the scope and meaning of thappended claims.

We claim: 1. In the method of transferring registered sheets from asheet support to a printing member or the like by, means of a movingsheet carrier and including the steps of feeding sheets in lapped sequence over the support to registering guides, registering the foremostone of the lapped sheets, engaging the leading edge of the registeredsheet by said carrier and transferring it to the printing member,receding the sheet engaging elements of said carrier from the pathfollowed by the trans ferred sheet to clear it, advancing a succeedinglapped sheet against said guides and registering it while still lappedby the preceding sheet as it .is being withdrawn, and moving the sheetcarrier and said elements to assume the initial sheet engaging position,the provision of the novel step according to which during such movementsaid elements are projected into and beyond said path erably such thatwhen these members are about to close on a sheet, they move in asubstantially perpendicular direction to the top surface of theregistering table IS in such a manner that the position of theregistered sheet shall not be disturbed. Furthermore, the direction ofthe motion should be parallel to the working i. e. registering surfaceof the front guides 50. This is accomplished by pivoting the fingers l2and pads it about a common axis located substantially coincident to thepath followed by the sheets as they are withdrawn.

A preferred mechanical means whereby the principle of our invention maybe carried into efiect is illustrated and described in the co-pendingapplication for Letters Patent Serial No. 658,- 077, filed March 29,1946, by Arthur G, Jacobson.

We are aware that the principle per se of transferring registered sheetsto a printing press or the like by means of an oscillating transfermechanism-and that of withdrawing the sheet gripping elements from theiroperative path during their return travel is not new in the art. We makereference for example to the prior Patent No. 1,790,457 referred toherein. The mechanism disclosed in said patent, however, is not adaptedfor carrying out the principle of our improved method, because with themechanism of the patent the grippers cannot be returned from theirreceded position until a transferred sheet is completely withdrawnbeyond the operating zone of the sheet transfer mechanism.

It shall be understood that our invention is not restricted for use inconnection with printing presses, or with any specific type of sheettransfer mechanism, since its basic principle may well be applied to anyclass of sheet handling machinery.

Furthermore, the application of our novel method is not to be limited inconnection with any constructional details or arrangements of parts suchas are illustrated and described herein merely by way of example, andtherefore it is our aim to cover any method or modification thereof thatsimultaneously with the passing of the trailing edge ofthe withdrawnsheet over and Eiaeyond said registering guides.

2. The method set forth in claim 1, m which the sheet engaging elementsare closed on a registered sheet by imparting motion to said elements insubstantially perpendicular direction to the sheet support.

3. 'In the method. of transferring registered sheets from a sheetsupport to a printing member or the'like by means of a moving sheetcarrier and including the steps of feeding sheets in lapped sequenceover the support to registering, guides, registering the foremost one ofthe lapped sheets, engaging theleading edge of the registered sheet bysaid carrier and transferring it to the printing member, receding thesheet engaging elements of said carrier from the path followed by thetransferred'sheet to clear it, advancing a succeeding lapped sheetagainst said guides and registering it while still lapped by thepreceding sheet as it is being withdrawn, and moving the sheet carrierand said elements to assume the initial sheet engaging position, theprovision of the novel step according to which during such movement saidelements are projected into and beyond said path' simultaneously withthe passing of the trailing edge of the withdrawn sheet through an angleof substantially ten degrees beyond said registering guides.

4. In the method of transferring registered sheets from a sheet supportto a printing member or the like by means of a moving sheet carrier andincludingthe steps of feeding sheets in lapped sequence over the supportto registering guides, registering the foremost one of the lappedsheets, engaging the leading edge of the registered sheet by saidcarrier and transferring it to the printing member, receding the sheetengaging elements of said carrier from the path followed by thetransferred sheet to clear it, advancing a succeeding lapped sheetagainst said guides and registering it while still lapped by thepreceding sheet as it is being withdrawn, and moving the sheet carrierand said elements to assume the initial sheet engaging position, theprovision of the novel steps according to which said elements duringsuch movement are projected downwardly into and beyond said pathsimultaneously with the passing of the trailing edge of the withdrawnsheet over and beyond said registering guides, and are thereupon closedon a registered, lapped sheet by imparting motion to the elements in asubstantially radial direction.

5. The method set forth in claim 4, in which the sheet engaging elementsare closed on a registered, lapped sheet by imparting motion to saidelements in substantially perpendicular direction to the sheet support.

6. The method set forth in claim 4, in which the sheet engaging elementsare closed on a registered, lapped sheet by imparting motion to saidelements in substantially perpendicular direction to the sheet support,and parallel to the working, i. e. registering surface of theregistering guides.

7.'The method of feeding sheets to a printing press or the like machine,which includes the steps of advancin a bank of sheets in,lapped sequenceto registering guides, registering the foremost sheet of said bank,engaging the leading edge of said sheet by means of oscillatin sheetgrippers or the like sheet carrier located above the path of the fedsheets to transfer the sheet to a receiving member, registering asucceeding sheet during the withdrawal of said foremost sheet and whilestill lapped thereby, receding said grippers from the path of thewithdrawn sheet and after it has been transferred to said member,returning the grippers while so receded to their sheet engagingposition, and at the end of such return movement projecting the grippersinto and beyond the path followed by the transferred sheetsimultaneously with the passing of the trailing edge of said sheet overand beyond the registering guides.

gaging position by imparting motion theretosubstantially perpendicularto the registered sheet 40 8 of the bank, and parallel to the working,i. e. registering surface of the registering guides.

10. The method of feeding sheets to a printing press or the like sheetprocessing machine, including the steps of registering the foremost oneof a bank of lapped sheets, withdrawing the registered sheet from saidbank and transferring it to a sheet carrier by means of an oscillatingsheet transfer mechanism having gripper fingers and associated pads,said fingers and pads being pivoted about a common axis locatedsubstantially coincident to the path followed by the withdrawn sheet,receding said fingers and pads from said path, advancing a subsequent,lapped sheet for the purpose of registering it while still lapped by thepreceding sheet, returning said fingers and pads to their sheet engagingposition, projecting said gripper fingers downwardly beyond the pathfollowed by a sheet while being withdrawn and simultaneously with thepassing of the trailing edge of the withdrawn sheet beyond the leadingedge of the subsequent registered sheet, and then moving said fingersand said pads relative to each other and in a direction substantially atright angles to said bank of lapped sheets to grasp the subsequent sheetwhile maintaining its register.

' HENRI E. PEYREBRUNE. BRUNO B. PASQUINELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the Kaddeland et al. Mar. 12, 1940

